The Shifting of the Paradigm
by Gwydion
Summary: She wasn't angry because she believed he was trying to trick her. She was angry because she knew that he wasn't. And admitting that meant that life as she'd always known it was about to come to a very abrupt and painful end. (Takes place sometime after "Follow the Leader" but before "Wormquake.")


Disclaimer: I do not own Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Takes place sometime after "Follow the Leader" but before "Wormquake."

 **The Shifting of the Paradigm**

Her lips were twisted into a snarl as she came to an abrupt halt upon reaching the appointed rooftop. The one who had set up this meeting wasn't waiting for her out in the open, however, likely unsure he could trust her to come alone. Pulling out her tanto blade with her free hand, she called out at the top of her lungs, unafraid of who else might hear her.

 _"Leonardo!"_

No sooner had the name left her tongue then the sound of someone landing several feet behind her reached her ears. Her eyes narrowed. An entrance that loud and casual was uncharacteristic for the usually silent ninja. He wasn't even trying to hide his presence from her.

"Karai..."

Spinning on her heel, she lowered her sword and shoved the photos she gripped in her other hand toward the mutant turtle.

"What is this!?"

The look of pity that crossed his face only further fueled her rage. She slapped the pictures down at her feet and pointed at him accusingly with her blade.

"Why did you leave these for me!? Did you seriously think that some doctored photos would fool me!?"

Reaching a hand out toward her, he cautiously took a step forward. "Karai, I'm not trying to fool you, I -"

 _"Liar!"_

As she lunged at him, barely allowing him time to draw his own sword in defense, she kept her harsh gaze locked with his, refusing to even glance down at the faces staring up at her from the old photographs. But as she continued to lash out with wild swings that the skilled swordsman easily parried, her mind couldn't block out the image of those strange yet familiar individuals.

The turtle, her friend, had betrayed her. She had no reason to trust him. And yet deep down she knew exactly why she was so angry, not only at her current opponent, but also at his brothers, the rat, herself... but most of all at the man who had raised her from infancy.

Her attacks grew more desperate as her mind cycled through the same images again and again. A photo she'd long cherished of a woman that had been awkwardly cropped as if the man whose arm was around her shoulder no longer existed. But then she saw it whole, only the man holding the woman close wasn't who she'd always expected it to be. Finally it warped into a more formal portrait, the same two people, only this time with a newborn baby girl in their arms.

The significance of those photos and why he had left them for her to find was not lost on her. During their last encounter, he had seemed genuinely surprised by her accusations against the rat, loyally defending him to the point she had begun to question her own father's tale of the night her mother died. Whether he had known the truth at that moment she may never know, but it hadn't taken long before he had left solid evidence of her own father's - of _Shredder's_ \- lies.

Breathing heavily, she could feel her body slowing from the exertion and her eyes began to sting. No, she wasn't angry because she believed he was trying to trick her. She was angry because she knew that he wasn't. And admitting that meant that life as she'd always known it was about to come to a very abrupt and painful end. She grit her teeth and blinked, ignoring the escaping drops that threatened to obscure her vision. Right now she could still blame it all on the turtle in front of her before giving in to her new reality, and no matter how her arms ached and heart pounded, she wasn't yet ready to fully face her future.

But it seemed that the future wasn't about to give her a choice. She had been so focused on her opponent that she hadn't even noticed the edge of the rooftop until she had slipped off of it.

 _"Karai!"_

The large hand around her wrist jerked her back to safety, and, both physically and mentally exhausted, she quickly found herself slipping to the hard roof below her. But again he caught her, this time around the waist, before gently lowering them both until they were seated on the cold concrete. Forehead against his shoulder, she was vaguely aware of the strong arms around her body and the tears silently dripping down her cheeks as they merely sat, the stillness of the night engulfing them. As she stared at her hands in her lap, it occurred to her that she couldn't recall a time when someone had held her like this, the comfort and warmth pouring out from his body and into her own completely foreign to her.

She had no idea how long they'd been sitting together on that roof before he at last spoke the words she knew he would say.

"Come with me."

The proposal was made in earnest, his voice sounding almost desperate for her to accept, and for a moment, a part of her wished that there was no further meaning behind it. But the turtle quickly clarified his statement, as if he'd just propositioned something scandalous and wanted to assure her that his motives were pure.

"Master Splinter would be so happy to see you. He's been thinking about you ever since he found out you were alive." She felt his arms tighten ever so slightly around her. "You don't have to be alone, Karai. Leave behind Shredder's lies. Your true father is waiting for you. Your home is with us."

If he had asked her to run away with him and leave the city and it's dark underbelly behind, she very well may have done it. That was exactly the sort of crazy distraction her mind craved in order to ignore how utterly messed up her life had just become. But she had known all along that he was too innocent, too loyal to his brothers and responsibilities to even entertain such an idea and that his true motive in revealing the secret behind her identity was to reunite a father and daughter. Unfortunately for him, it was a mission doomed to fail.

For sixteen years Shredder had filled her with hatred toward the man named Hamato Yoshi. She had believed the words of the one she was told was her father, and his grudge had flourished inside of her. Knowing the truth could not instantly make all of those feelings evaporate. Instead, a million questions surrounding why her real father had given her up for dead with no body, no remains, tormented her, and no amount of words would placate the anger and confusion warring within her. Not right now. Possibly not ever.

Her eyes at last dry, she took a long, calming breath. "Sorry, Leo." She raised her head from his shoulder, flashing him the most confident and seductive smirk she could muster. "I don't think we'd make very good siblings."

The smirk on her face grew more genuine as his blue eyes widened, and he quickly let go of her.

"Th-that's not what I meant! I-I mean, well, it's not like we'd _really_ be siblings. After all, April stayed with us for a while, and it's not like - "

Realizing his admittedly adorable babbling was likely to not end any time soon, she reached out to cup his face in her hands and kissed him on the cheek. He fell silent instantly, and she could feel the heat rushing to his face as she rested her own cheek against his. No longer within his line of sight, all playfulness vanished from her face.

"Just because I know the truth doesn't mean I can accept it," she murmured. "Maybe someday, but right now I have to figure this out on my own."

As she pulled away, it was impossible to miss the heartache reflected in his eyes. Plastering the confident smile back into place, she gently stroked his cheek with her thumb before letting go and standing to her feet, ignoring how they ached from sitting still for so long after pushing them to their limits. He quickly rose as well, and as she turned to leave, he reached out and grabbed her hand, holding it softly as if he was afraid of breaking it. She watched as he removed his T-phone from his belt and placed it in her palm.

"Promise me that you'll call us if you need something - _anything_. We'll - _I'll_ always be there for you, Karai. Always."

The way he looked at her as if she were the most precious thing in the world at that very moment almost made her reconsider. But instead she gripped the gift tightly and looked him in the eye.

"I promise."

Before he could sway her heart further, she quickly turned and dove for the next rooftop, swiftly ducking into the shadows to escape the gaze she knew was following her with far more longing than she would have imagined. The phone in her hand felt heavy, and she vaguely wondered if she was making the right choice.

With a deep breath, she pushed all indecisiveness aside. Now was not the time to second guess herself. She would pursue her new direction in life with the same confidence and ferocity she always had. And if she did ever find it in herself to make peace with the man who had lost her so many years ago, she knew there would always be at least one person waiting for her, willing to take her back.

* * *

A/N: Some Leorai for an anonymous requester on tumblr. Personally I'm on the friend side of the ship, but I have nothing against them as a couple. And, honestly, I was grateful for the opportunity to write Karai for the first time. While not exactly how I imagined it going down, I was sad this wasn't the route the show took, having Karai figuring out how she felt on her own and just being that third party wild card. So it was really fun to finally write it myself.

As always, critics and grammar police are appreciated!


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